Major Update on ‘Good Morning America’ Sexual Harassment Scandal

ABC News has settled a sexual harassment case out of court, ending a lawsuit filed by former Good Morning America producer Kristyn Crawford all the way back in August of 2021. Crawford claimed that the network knew about many sexual harassment allegations against former executive Michael Corn, but that it ignored those cases and even tried to hide them from the public eye. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, ABC filed a stipulation to dismiss the case “with prejudice” on Friday.

The terms of Crawford’s settlement with ABC have not been publicly released, although the filing “with prejudice” means that it cannot be refiled against ABC or Corn again. A spokesperson for ABC News issued a statement saying the network thanks Crawford “for courageously speaking out about her experience at ABC News,” adding: “Ms. Crawford thanks ABC News for its prompt response to her formal complaint in 2021.” So far, Corn and his lawyers have not made a public statement.

Crawford claimed that Corn sexually assaulted her in 2015 during a work trip to Los Angeles, California to attend the Academy Awards. At the time Corn was a senior executive producer for Good Morning America and Crawford’s boss. The lawsuit said that Crawford had heard that Corn “had a propensity to sexually harass female colleagues” and that in this instance, he “pulled Crawford’s head into his chest and began kissing her and rubbing her legs.”

The lawsuit cited allegations from other women at ABC News as well, including the 2010 case of producer Jill McClain who said that Corn forcibly entered her hotel room and “pinned her down on a hotel bed, pulled down the top of her jumpsuit, and fondled her bare breasts.”

The crux of Crawford’s case was that ABC News knew about this pattern of behavior but “looked the other way.” She said that Corn was protected from consequences and even promoted within the company “due to his commercial success as a producer,” which she said created a “hostile workplace that [Corn] cultivated through his influence over subordinates’ careers, sexual harassment, gaslighting, and anger management issues.”

Corn left ABC News abruptly in April of 2021 – a few months before Crawford’s lawsuit went on the record. Crawford herself left the network as well. Neither she nor Corn have made public statements since the settlement. Good Morning America airs on weekdays at 7 a.m. Et on ABC News.